Rolling Admissions:

About the staff

Richard Starr joined the administrative staff to help make the Elijah School vision happen after a successfull sixteen-year career in business. He earned a degree in History from the University of Delaware, but worked for the Fortune 500 before God impressed upon him the need to return to an early desire and pursue a career in education.

He has worked with several non-profit organizations, most notably as President of Freedom Hills Therapuetic Riding Program. Richard is passionate about helping young people acquire the skills and education needed to succeed in an often confusing and decaying culture; “Students today need life skills as much as math skills.”

He attends Moore’s Chapel UMC and lives nearby with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, and four horses. Richard teaches high school foreign language, critical thinking/worldview, geometry, consumer math, literature, and history.

Marilyn Groop has spent nineteen years as a home-school mother, teacher, and advocate. She is co-founder of Mt. Sophia Academy in Delaware, a home-school umbrella group which has now graduated ten classes. It was Marilyn’s desire to have a Christ-centered school for non-traditional learners (her own) that sparked the Elijah School to life.

Marilyn has a Bachelor’s from New York University and serves as Director of Development and as President of our Steering Committee. She also teaches pre-algebra and algebra.

Pam Eldreth earned a Bachelors degree in Social Work from James Madison University in 1984. She began homeschooling her 8 year old son out of necessity when he failed to read, write, or learn math by the third grade. Over the next 13 years, she home-taught her son and 3 daughters, all of whom have learning differences to varying degrees. Her passion is encouraging struggling readers, and preparing young men and women with the skills necessary to succeed in life. Her many interests include, but are not limited to, Civil War history, Revolutionary War-era music, animals, baking, playing the piano, walking, gardening, camping, and body-surfing. Pam and her husband, Jim, reside in Newark, Delaware, with their daughters and a menagerie of animals. She attends the Newark First Church of the Nazarene with her family. Pam teaches social skills, history, language arts, and reading.

Evie Cunliffe joined Elijah School first as a mentor and is now our Guidance Counselor. She completed her undergraduate and graduate work at Liberty University. Evie will soon be a Licensed Counselor. She is responsible for testing new students, measuring progress and student behavior, and for managing the mentor program. Evie also teaches the middle school Social Skills class. She is always available to parents and students who are struggling, as well as teachers who need some extra help.